1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a shampoo composition, and more specifically, relates to an improvement of the useability or applicability thereof.
2. Description of the Related Art
Damage to the hair caused by chemical treatments such as permanent waving, hair dying, and hair bleaching has long been a problem, and particularly, due to an increased number of these chemical treatments for the hair, an increase in the number of times that the hair is washed, contamination of the hair by air pollution, changes in the social environment such as a drying of hair due to air conditioning, etc., the hair is now far more susceptible to damage. Accordingly, the functions demanded from a shampoo are not merely foaming and washability, but also hair conditioning effects (not causing damage to the hair or repairing damaged hair; a good useability such as easy passing of the fingers therethrough when washing or rinsing the hair, no hair squeak, an easy unification of the hair after drying, pliability, and easy combing, etc.) are now required.
To provide a shampoo with a conditioning effect, frequently used in the art are oily components such as lanolin derivatives, protein derivatives, and higher alcohols, humectants such as glycerine, polyethylene glycol, and propylene glycol, amphoteric or nonionic water-soluble high molecular weight compounds, and natural plant extracts, etc.
These components, however, are poorly adsorbed onto the hair, and are mostly washed away during the rinsing operation after the shampooing, and therefore, do not provide a satisfactory conditioning effect for damaged hair, particularly hair damaged by permanent waving, hair dying and hair bleaching.
On the other hand, as the surfactant formulated in the art as the detergent in shampoos used by experts such as barbers or beauty salons and those for general commercial products, primarily alkylsulfate salts, polyoxyethylene alkylsulfate salts, alkylbenzenesulfonic acid salts, and .alpha.-olefin-sulfonic acid salts are frequently used.
Shampoos containing these surfactants, although having a good washing power, are known to more or less irritate the skin, whereby experts subject to frequent changes of shampoos used, such as barbers or beauty salon staff, are susceptible to skin disorders such as hand roughness, etc.
Accordingly, the present inventors previously called attention to the intimate correlation between a protein denaturation power and useability improvement, and developed a detergent composition using a surfactant with a low protein denaturation power (Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication (Kokai) No. 57-195800), or a detergent composition formulated with a specific cationic high molecular weight compound and having an even lower protein denaturation power (Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication (Kokai) No. 58-138799).
Current hair fashions and other developments require that people wash their hair at least 3 to 4 times a week, or even every day, and accordingly, if the hair is washed with a shampoo formulated with a strong surfactant which irritates the skin, the problem of a roughness of the scalp arises, which leads to the generation of dandruff and an itchy scalp.
Accordingly, under the present situation there is an urgent demand for a shampoo which has a conditioning effect suitable for use by barbers and beauty salons, without anxiety, and for general commercial products, and at the same time, having a very low skin irritation effect.
In view of the above, the above-mentioned respective inventions created by the present inventors do not have a required useability, and thus there is a need for the formulation of a shampoo composition having a far better useability.